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(Mariam Shakebar welcomes back Kabul's TV viewers after a five-year blackout ordered by the Taliban, outlining the evening's entertainment of a reading from the Koran followed by music, cartoons, interviews and news in Dari and Pashtu. Photo taken November 18, 2001. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov )

An Afghan government request that female television presenters don headscarves and avoid heavy make-up has angered local journalists, who said the move was proof authorities expected the Taliban to regain a share of power. Afghan and U.S. officials have been seeking peace negotiations with the Islamist group ousted over a decade ago as a means to ensure stability after foreign combat troops leave, though the talks are in a very fragile state.

In a letter distributed to media, the Ministry of Culture and Information said it had received complaints from members of parliament and families that female news presenters were not observing Islamic and cultural ethics.

The ministry’s plea came as a surprise to some Afghan media. All female anchors appear with their heads covered, sparking suggestions the directive was designed to impress the Taliban by pandering to their ultra-conservative views. “Since we are at the beginning of serious peace and reconciliation talks, the government wants to show they are like the Taliban,” said Zarghoona Roshan, a radio journalist for 10 years before she joined media development group Nai.Read the full story here.
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Based in Kabul, Amie reports on the NATO-led war in Afghanistan. She was previously based in Moscow, where she reported across the former Soviet Union for almost five years, covering energy, politics and lifestyle stories. For over two years there, she focused on the Islamist insurgency in Russia's Muslim North Caucasus. She has also reported in Greece and Britain.